Since its establishment, the United States has always had an industry where humans have sold other humans for profit. Although the United States abolished slavery and human trafficking with the thirteenth amendment in 1865, the human trafficking industry has not even begun to disappear, despite all the efforts made against it. Human trafficking is an issue that affects various people. As author Kevin Bales said in The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today, human trafficking is of “equal opportunity” (18). It can affect all kinds of people regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity. Victims of human trafficking are sold for the purpose of being exploited through labor sexual acts. It is estimated that there are between 14,500 and 17,500 individuals trafficked into the United States annually (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Many criminals throughout the world often traffic humans with the intent of sending them to America. The United States is one of the top ten global destinations of human traffickers. Because of this, the country’s issue has a significant influence over the amount of people being trafficked worldwide as well (U.S. Department of State 359). In effort to reduce and prevent human trafficking, the United States has passed several laws such as the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (U.S. Department of State 1). Although passing these laws was a significant hit against human trafficking, the issue still persists. Because of this, the United States should modify its current system against human trafficking by creating more laws to fight the issue. This should be done to ...
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Many American citizens know of the criminal act of sex trafficking in third world countries, but very few know how much it takes place in the United States. In America prostitution, pornography, and stripping are all considered acts of sex trafficking when they are forced on the victim. This increased crime has led to victimization, physical and psychological effects and after-effects of American and international victims. The government is aware of the slavery of humans taking place in this country and it has to release funds in creating programs for sex trafficking survivors and re-authorize the act that protects sex trafficking victims, in order to support the equal rights for every citizen.
"Sex Trafficking in the U.S." Sex Trafficking in the U.S. | Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery. Polaris Project, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.
Every year in the united states, thousands of children and adults are forced into human trafficking. In the united states alone, because the estimated amount of money being earned from this despicable business is in the billions, the united states as a country should be embarrassed by the amount of people forc...
27 million people all over the world are currently being forced into human trafficking or modern day slavery, 161 countries including the US will be affected by human trafficking. 1 million children will be exploited by the commercial sex trade each year. Sex trafficking began in the 1700s in the United States. It hasn’t been stopped because it continues to increase over the years. Even though the law enforcement and people around the world could be strong enough to stop human trafficking, I believe this situation needs to be more focused on and stopped as soon as possible. Because Human Trafficking is increasing rapidly and Oklahoma is a cross-way for sex trafficking due to the interstates such as I-35, I-40 and I-44.
Human trafficking is modern slavery. Human trafficking is a serious problem but affects our home, Las Vegas the most. It’s such a problem, because people fail to recognize it, and don’t understand the severity of the crime. Human trafficking is where children, teens, and adults are prostituted for money. Some are forced to have sex. Human trafficking occurs all over the world, but its effect in Nevada is devastating. There have been 2,229 victims of human trafficking that have been saved since 1994.
In 1865 the United States passed the thirteenth amendment of the constitution which formally abolished the practice of slavery in the United States. Over a century has gone by since this day, and yet somewhere behind the mask of freedom that our country holds with such pride lingers a hidden trade. This is the trade of modern-day slavery that remains prevalent in our country. Despite the freedoms we are granted as a citizen of the United States, human trafficking is an enormous issue that is often overlooked. In fact, very little light is shown on this topic, but the awful reality is there.
The United States is a major port for human trafficking and, “Due to the covert nature of human trafficking, it is difficult to ascertain which countries are the primary source nations for trafficking into the US” (Hepburn). People of all ages and genders are at risk to human trafficking (Hepburn). Women and girls make up about fifty-six percent of the people trafficked for forced labor, while men and boys make up the other forty-four percent; children make up forty to fifty percent of those numbers (Hepburn). Ninety-eight percent of the people trafficked for sexual explorations are women and girls (Hepburn). Children tend to be targeted more than adults because they are much more vulnerable. Human trafficking has different forms, and “While trafficking for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation is more publicized in the media, it is not the only form of trafficking that takes place in the US” (Hepburn). Trafficking for the purposes of forced labor is just as likely to occur as trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation (Hepburn). Many citizens have never heard of human trafficking for something other than sexual exploitation. Hepburn shows that, “Forty-three percent are trafficked for purposes of...
“Human trafficking coerces and persuades their victims to cross national borders in search of new jobs and better opportunities and after that they are forced into some sort of labor bondage” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Even though trafficking is a problem in almost every country; poorer countries have a bigger problem with it because they are more desperate for work. Just in 2000, the U.S. enacted their first federal anti-trafficking law, called the Victims of Trafficking Protection Act (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Trafficking has just begun to receive notice on how big of a problem it actually is. “Proponents of strict anti-trafficking initiatives say that laws and prevention against trafficking are necessary in order to stem the growing tide of large scale organized crime that profits off of smuggling and trafficking” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1).
When the topic of slavery is up for discussion, many individuals think of American history. In fact, the United States abolished slavery in 1865, the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction" (The United States Constitution). Although it is believed slavery is a thing of the past, its existence is evident in countless countries around the world.
Social service professionals work to address the problem of human trafficking in a number of ways. Social workers are unique in their approach to this issue because they can address it from a number of angles. For example, social workers concentrate on both the individual victim as well as their social and economic situation which distinguishes it from other professions such as counseling (Palmer, 2010). Social workers meet the needs of human trafficking victims according to the principles outlined in the National Association of Social Worker’s Code of Ethics. (Palmer 2010). Nancy Palmer (2010) notes, that despite some similarities, human trafficking victims have “more complex and wide-ranging service needs” than those who suffer from related criminal acts. (p.48). Education is an important aspect of a social workers job not only to be aware of the problem and of the appropriate standards of action but also to recognize potential victims. Stotts & Ramey’s (2009) research shows, “it is entirely possible for a counselor to come in contact with a victim of trafficking without knowing it. Situations in which counselors are most likely to come into contact with a potential victim include homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, or crisis hotlines” (p.44). Social workers who suspect a possible victim can confirm through the National Trafficking Resource Center as well locating local services available to sufferers. If the victim is in immediate danger then social service workers notify local law enforcement (Stotts & Ramey, 2009). Once victims are identified, then social workers turn to meeting their physical and psychological needs by providing mental and health care to individuals and groups. Studies indicate that victims e...
U.S. Department of State Publication (2007) Trafficking in Persons Report,11407, United States of America: Office of Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs and bureau of public affairs.
Human trafficking, a form of modern day slavery, affects more people than you could imagine. The United States is known for freedom, human rights, and the pursuit of happiness; however, there are many victims of human trafficking that have been stripped of their rights and freedoms. The Victims of Trafficking andViolence Protection Act (VTVPA) of 2000 defines human trafficking as, the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery (Kotrola 8). Human trafficking is a devastating issue many Americans have problems addressing;
In hindsight, many people have no clue and don’t have the slightest idea that human trafficking is even occurring in the entire world, let alone the United States. It is a shame and a shock that this happens right beneath our noses. Even when we are conscientious about human trafficking, we neglect and ignore it. We try to bypass the thought of this huge crime happening in our own country and fail to realize that it happens everyday. Human trafficking is a serious crime that many people are unaware of; it secretly takes place in the United States; it secretly ruins many lives; it secretly goes by to be never discovered or punished by government officials.
"What Is Human Trafficking?" United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. UNODC, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. .
Human Trafficking is trading human beings for sex, labor, or any other force trade. It is known as modern day slavery. Many people in the United States believe that slavery was abolished long ago, but the truth is slavery exist more now than it ever has before. People are being trafficked all around us. Victims of human trafficking range in age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Typically victims share one thing in common, they become isolated from either their country of origin or their families in hope of a better life. Nearly 100,000 children in the United States are currently exploited through commercial sex trade. Over 27 million people worldwide are trapped in human trafficking. Many people are negligent of the fact that millions of people are currently living enslaved in the sex industry. The statistic remains that there is a battle going on worldwide. Ending any form of human slavery will never happen, but becoming aware of the problem and creating ways to stop the numbers from rising or even getting the numbers to decrease should be important. People are not property and no one human being should own another human being. Battles are fought all over the world for people who are oppressed, why is there not a bigger battle for the millions of people being bought and sold right now? It is injustice. Although this global crime is a huge problem that seems way too big to begin solving. There is a way to become aware, speak out, and stop sitting on the sidelines. Even though many people picture slavery as a thing of the past, it never ended. Even though many citizens of the United States see slavery in their mind as something in some far off country and brush the notion aside, t...